Sled Dogs in the Desert
A Collaboration of Art and History
The important place of sled dogs in American history as portrayed by the amazing sled dog paintings of my friend Veryl Goodnight is the subject of the book I published in November: Sled Dogs in America: The Art of Veryl Goodnight, by Veryl Goodnight and Helen Hegener. Veryl’s historically accurate paintings have elevated the history of sled dogs to an exhibit at the prestigious Smithsonian-associated Western Spirit Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Veryl and I will be giving two slideshow presentations at the museum on February 6th, one at 2:00 pm and another at 5:30 pm followed by a reception. It promises to be an exciting event!
Running for nine months, through April, 2025, the unique exhibit we helped curate showcases not only the paintings done by Veryl, but includes the history behind the paintings as I researched it for my 2023 book, The History of Sled Dogs in North America. Also included are many of the props and supporting pieces Veryl used in creating her paintings.
Although I’ve seen many photographs of the displays, I got my first actual look at the sled dog exhibit last week, and it was quite humbling to walk into that very prestigious museum and see my name on the walls, along with the photos I’d researched and the history I’d written! But just as thrilling was to see two of the titles published by my Northern Light Media on the top shelf of the museum bookstore! Veryl and I signed their copies and marveled at the depth and quality of the other items for sale!
I smiled to see people walking through the exhibit carrying copies of the book Veryl and I had produced together, and it was wonderful to talk with the docents and the visitors about the history and Veryl’s beautiful artwork. Our visit last week was impromptu, but it gave us a wonderful advance look at how exciting it will be when we return to present our slideshow and talk on February 6th!
Just FYI, this is partially a repost from my personal blog/site, I hope you’ll click over and follow me there too, totally free of course:
Helen